Automatic power transmission



2 Sheets-Shet 1 4; EXAM) /fw/E 770/? y @Traa/vf? Sept. 27, 1938. fw. A.DUFFIELD AUTOMATIC PuwE'R TRANSMISSION Filed Jan. 7, l19:55

AUTOMATIC POWER TRANSMISSION Filed' Jani 7, 1935 2 Sweets-Sheet Patentedsept. 27, 193s 2,131,619

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE 2,131,619 AUTOMATIC Powna TRANSMISSIONWilliam A. Duiield, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to JunoCorporation Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a, corporationApplicationv January 7, 1935, Seriall No. 709 7 Claims. (CLM- 293) Thisinvention relates to variable speed power of the fluid coupling. 'I'hedriver II is bolted at transmission and particularly to the automaticits periphery to the fly wheel Il) and is journalled operation oftransmission mechanism of this type. at .its center on bearings Aaboutshaft A. The object of the invention is to provide mecha- 'Ihe runner I2is bolted at its center to a flange nism whereby the power from a primemover will I3 on the shaft A. The end of the shaft is jour- 5 be appliedto an operative mechanism at the denailed in bearings in the center ofthe fly wheel sired speed without the manual 4control of' gear In. 'I'heshaft A has a pinion I4 at the outer end. changing apparatus. 'I-'hepinion end of the shaft is bored to hold A further object is to providea power transbearings for shaft B. 10 mission that will automaticallymeet variations The shaft B is also journalled in bearings in 10 of loadwithout such manual control. the frame 1. l

A further object is to provide a power trans- Shaft B is bored at 29 tohold bearings for the mission that can be gradually thrown into a reend5I of the tail shaft C which is also journalled verse drive. in bearingsat the end of frame 1. l5 Further objects will be set forth hereinafter.Shaft B has a disc 34 which with va disc 30 15 Briefly stated thisinvention consists of a rotary forms a carrier 3 with pins 32journalling planet drive which includes a. :duid coupling of the gears35 which mesh with the pinion I4. Fottinger type and a train ofplanetary gear, so Anannulus 24 meshes with the planet gears arrangedthat at low speed or at heavy loads 35 and has a disc 25 and a sleeve26. A one-way the drive will be indirect, while at high speed brake 'I0is provided between the sleeve 26 and 20 or light loads the drive willbe direct. Changes the frame 1. between these extremes are carried outautomati- The carrier 3 is bolted to the driver 2| of the cally by theinvention. fluid coupling 2.

The iiuid coupling operates to gradually speed I'heannulus 24 is boltedto the runner 22 which 25 up the annulus and thereby decreases therotais journalled on the shaft A. 25 tion of the planets and the drivebecomes direct The Sleeve 25 1S JOUIIlelled 021 the Shaft B and from thepinion and carrier to the tail shaft. in the frame 'I.

The device is particularly suited for an auto- A stuffing box 8 on theshaft A bolted tothe mobile transmission as the change of speed of therunner 22 and a stuiling box 80 on the disc 25 drive is controlled bythe accelerator and autoof the annulus 24 around shaft B provide an en-30 matically adjusts itself to every rate of rotation, closed chamber,including the fluid coupling and both ascending and descending. theplanetary gear.

Reference is made to the accompanying draw- Suitable reversing gear isconnected to the ings which illustrate the application of the invenshaftC. tion to an automobile transmission. In this, shaft C has a flangedldisc 5. The 35 This is only one of the many forms in which flange 5I!has teeth on its inner side forming an the invention may be applied andwhich are covannulus, its outer side carries a series of disc ered bythe claims that follow the description. clutch plates 53. A carrier 4supported on a Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section sleeve 44journalled on the shaft C,`pivotally sup- 40 through the axis of theshafts of the transmission ports a series of planetary gears 4I whichmesh 40 mechanism. with the pinion 28 and the annulus 50. The car-Figure 2 is a similar section of a variation. rier 4 also supports at 42the outer series of discs Figure 3 is a vertical cross section of therevers- 43 of the disc clutch, and a Set 0f PVOted levers ing gear. tooperate the clutch. A rocking lever 41 and 45 In Figure 1 lthe stub Ifrom the prime mover sliding sleeve 46 operate the clutch levers .45. 45is coupled to the shaft Abya clutch. This clutch A brake band 6surrounds the carrier 4 pro-l is shown inthe form of a. fluid couplingof the vided with suitable control mechanism 60. Fottinger type.v A'I'he frame covers the fluid couplingand re- This form of clutch is notessential to the induction gear and is very compact. e

vention and may be substituted by other forms, The operation is asfo1lows:-v 50 but I prefer to employ this form for its many The primemover drives the stub shaft and advantages. rotates the y wheel and withit the driver of The iiy wheel I0 whichl is secured to the stub theiiuid coupling. When the speed of 500 shaft I, has a concentric bowlshaped channel. R. P. M. is' reached the slip between the members Thischannel forms a cover to the runner I 2- y of the coupling is 100% butas the speed increases 55 the slip rapidly drops and the runner takes upthe drive which it carries through the shaft A to the pinion |4.

When the clutch closes and the shaft A starts to rotate, the pinioncauses the planet gear to rotate in the reverse direction but as theannulus is held from reverse rotation by the one-way brake, the planetstravel on the. annulus and rotate the carrier. This causes the shaft Bto rotate at a reduced speed and also causes the driver of the fluidcoupling to rotate. As the speed of rotation of the shaft A increases,the rotation of the driver starts the runner to rotate.

The annulus therefore starts to rotate and the sleeve slips over theone-way brake. As the speed of rotation of the annulus increases that ofthe planets drops and the reduction effects falls gradually untilfinally the whole assembly of shaft A, planetary gear, fluid coupling,and shaft B are rotating at the same speed as a unit.

This is the normal high speed drive and the reductionmechanism merelyacts as a fly wheel.

When the speed is reduced or when the load is increased as in climbing ahill, the annulus slows down and the planets take up the drive andbrings in the reduction gradually and smoothly and without any manual orpedal effort from the car drive.

The oil which is in the fluid coupling also keeps the reduction gearlubricated, but at high speed it is held by centrifugal force and ceasesto flow, when the mechanism rotates as a unit. This prevents heating ofthe oil at normal high speed.

At low speeds the oil is eiective as a lubricant to all the moving partsbetween .the stumng boxes.

In the variation shown in Figure 2 the planetary gear is on the driveside of the uid coupling.

The shaft A has a pinion I4 at the other end, and is journalled inbearings in a sleeve 1| secured to the frame 1.- The pinion end of theshaft A is bored to hold bearings for shaft B.

The shaft B is also journalled in bearings secured to shaft C which isjournalled in bearings in the frame 1.

Shaft C is bored at 29 to hold bearings for the end 5I of the shaft Dwhich is also journalled in bearings at the end of the frame 1.

The shaft B has a ange 34 to which is bolted the spider 30 of a carrier3. Mounted in bearings 3| on the walls of the carrier 3 are pins 32 onwhich are journalled integral planet gears 35 and 36. I'he larger gears35 mesh with the pinion |4 of shaft A. The carrier 3 at one side h'as aflanged ring 33 which ride's on a one-way brake supported on the frame1.

Beyond the flange 34, a sleeve 23 journalled on bearings around shaft Bhas at its end a gear 24 meshing with the smaller planetary gears 36.

Keyed to the sleeve 23 is a ring bolted to the driver 2| of the fluidcoupling 2. 'At the periphery of this member 2|, it is bolted to a bowlshaped cover 20 of the coupling 2.

At its center this cover 26 is bolted to a flange 21 on shaft C. Shaft Ccarries apinion 28 at its opposite end, meshing with the planets 4| ofthe' reversing. gear.

The runner of the iluid coupling is bolted to the flange 26 of a'sleeve25 keyed to the shaft B.

The operation of this arrangement of planetary gear is as follows:

The drive of the pinion I4 is through the planet gears 35 -and 36 andgear 24 sleeve 23 to the driver 2|, thence through the cover 20 to shaftC.

The carrier 3 is held from reverse rotation by large and small theone-way brake 10. When the runner 22 starts to couple with the driver 2|it causes the carrier 3 to slip over the one-way brake 10 and rotate inthe same direction as shaft A and sleeve 23.

As the speed of rotation of the carrier 3 increases that of theplanetary gear slows down until the rotation of the pinion I4 and thesleeve 23 is synchronized and the reduction effect of the planetarygears has ceased.

The drive is then direct through the mechanism to the pinion 28 of thereversing gear.

Other variations of planetary gear with a fluid coupling for the samepurpose may be used. But the operation of the fluid coupling togradually and automatically cut in or out the reduction gear is theessential feature of this invention.

I claim:

l. In an automatic power transmission, a fluid coupling of the Fottingertype, means to transmit power through a train of reduction gear to atail shaft and also directly from the gear to the driver of thecoupling, and means coupled to the runner including a one-way brakeadapted to cut out the reduction gear.

2. In an automatic power transmission, a fluid coupling of the Fottingertype, means to transmit power through a trainof planetary reduction gearto a tail shaft and also directly from the gear to the driver of thecoupling, and means coupled to the runner including a one-way brakeadapted to produce a direct drive.

3. In an automatic power transmission, a fluid coupling of the Fottingertype, means totransmit power through a train of reduction gear to a tailshaft and also directly from the gear to the driver of the coupling andmeans coupled to the runner including a one-way brake operating tovreduce the action of the reduction gear as the speed of rotation of therunner increases.

4. In an automatic power transmission, a frame, a drive shaft from aprime mover, a driven shaft, a clutchbetween the shafts, and a tailshaft, all journalled on the same axis, a pinion on the driven shaft, acarrier on the tail shaft, planetary gears pivoted on the carriermeshing with the pinion, a fluid coupling of the Fottinger typeincluding a driver member and a runner member surrounding the drivenshaft, the driver member secured to the carrier, an annulus meshing withthe planetary gears connected to the runner member, a one-way brakebetween the annulus and the frame.

5. In an automatic power transmission, a frame, a fluid coupling of theFottinger type including a driver member and a runner member, a drivenshaft, and a tail shaft, the shafts journalled on the same axis, apinion on the driven shaft, a carrier on the tail shaft, planetary gearspivoted on the carrier, meshing with the pinion, the fluid couplingsurrounding the driven shaft, its driver secured to the carrier, anannulus meshing with the planetarygears connected to its runner, asleeve extension to the annulus journalled on the tail shaft, a one-way4brake between the sleeve and the frame.

6. In an automatic power transmission, a driven shaft, a. pinionthereon, a tail shaft, journalled axially therein, a carrier on the tailshaft, meshing with the pinion planetary gears pivoted in the carrier, afluid coupling of the Fottinger type including a driver member and arunner member, surrounding the driven shaft, its driver secured to thecarrier, an annulus meshing with the planetary gears, and connected toits runner,

and a one-way brake between the annulus and the machine frame. n

7. In an automatic power `transmission, a frame, a driven shaft, apinion .f at its end, a tail shaft journalled axially i`n the end of thedriven shaft, a anged extension to the tail shaft forming a carrier,planetary gears pivoted in the carrier, a fluid coupling of theFottingertype including a driver member anda runner member surrounding the drivenshaft, its driver secured to the carrier, an annulus meshing with theplanetary :gears, connected on one side to the runner which isjournalled n the driven shaft, and on the other side to a sleevejournalled on the tail shaft and a one-way brake between the sleeveandthe frame.

WILLIAM A. DUFFIELD.

